Freezing tray



H. D. GEYER FREEZING TRAY June 7, 1938.

Filed Sept. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet `l `une 7, 1938. H. D. GEYER FREEZING TRAY Filed Sept. 9, 1935 2 sheets-sneeta INVENTOR BY CW /vlwamuA f 2% HIS ATTORNEYS Harvey 5' Patented June 7, 19.38

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlc'E FREEZING TRAY Ware Application September 9, 1933, Serial No. 688,715

Claims.

This invention relates to freezing trays adapted for use in household refrigerators.

An object of this invention is to provide a freezing tray having simple and eiicient means4 for positively loosening the frozen bond of the ice blocks from the container pan and partially eject? ing same.

Another object is to provide an efficient device for accomplishing the above object while also breaking or loosening the frozen bond of the container pan to its support upon which it rests while freezing takes place.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form ofthe present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. y1 is a plan view of a freezing tray made according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken, on line 22 of Fig. 1 and shows all the parts in normal or freezing position.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows the container pan being lifted from its support and the grid being lifted from the pan by the actuation of the handle.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 5 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I0 designates the metal container pan which is shown as having a small peripheral flange I I which merges into a relatively deep downwardly curved front ange I2 upon which the handle I3 is pivotally supported. A small metal bracket I5 is rigidly fixed to the inner side of the front flange I2 by two screws I6,- or by any other suitable means. Bracket I 5 has two integral depending lugs I1 with aligned apertures through which the pivot pin I4 extends. Handle I3 has an inter' gral base I8 with apertured ears I9 (see Fig. 4)

to pin I4 that it provides a cam surface for engaging the pan support when handle I3 is moved from its position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, and thereby force the pan I0 upwardly from its support 2li. This action will automatically free the frozen bondl between pan I0 and support 20 and hence greatly facilitate the withdrawal of the'tray from the freezing chamber, simply by pulling on the handle I3.

'I'he addedv feature of this" invention Ais the means for also loosening the frozen bond between the partitioning device 25 in pan I 0 and the frozen contents and the containerpan by the handle I3. The partitioning device illustrated is a molded flexible rubber grid having a central longitudinal partition 26 and a series of transverse partitions 21 integral therewith. This rubber grid 25 has an open-bottom molded groove 28 underlying the central partition 26 and extending up the front end of the grid as shown at 29 in Fig. 1. A loose curved metal bar or rod 30 llt-s snugly Within this groove 28 and 29 and rests` upon the bottom of pan Ill 'as clearly shown in Fig. 2. At the front of the tray bar 30 curves upwardly over the upper edge of the pan I0 and the depending portion 3I thereof extends loosely through hole 32 in flange I2 and through the guide hole 33 in bracket I5. It vis thus seen that the rubber grid 25 overlies and fits snugly upon the bar 30 and will be lifted up when bar 3|) is forced upwardlyQx!" The base I8 of handle I3 has a cam lug 35 integral therewith which engages the bottom endg of portion 3I of bar 30 when handle I3 is mdved about its pivot pin I4, andl therebyl forces the front end of bar 30'upwardly a short distance with a high force which is sucient to break the frozen bond between the pan I0 and its contents. The rear end 36 ofbar 30. fulcruxns upon the bottom of pan I0 during this tilting movement. Preferably the bottom of pan I0 is bumped up as shown at 31 in Fig. 5 to provide a short socket 38 for retaining the end 36 35 of bar 30 in place during such tilting.

In operation, the tray parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 2 and the pan I0 is filled with water or other liquid to be congealed and placed upon the support 20 in a freezing compartment. After. the contents have solidified the handle I3 'is swung downwardly, which first causes cam I3 to force the pan IIl upwardly and break its possible frozen bond with support 20 which permits the tray to be easily withdrawn. Either before or after withdrawal of the tray, upon further swinging'of handle I3 the cam 35 engages the lower end of portion 3I and progressively tilts the rod 30 and the overlying rubber grid 25 upwardly relative to pan Ill to break the frozen bond between the pan and its contents. Since only the inner ends of the ice blocks overlie rod 30 and the flexible rubber flange forming the groove 28, the initial loosening eifect upon each ice block obviously will be the tilting of its inner 55 flexing also tends to loosen the ice blocks therefrom. Thereafter the grid 25v and its frozen contents may be easily removed partially or entirely from the pan In, whereupon theice blocks will either fall out or may be easily pressed from the open-sided pockets of the flexible rubber grid.

progressively bend away from the pan front wall Preferably the rod 30 has such flexibility that the force of cam' 35 thereupon will rst cause `it to to facilitate the breaking of. theice hond at that point, and thereafter to progressively bend away from th pan bottom to facilitate the breaking of the ice bond along the bottom. Hence after the breaking of the ice bond between pan III and its contents is oncev started by `a relatively large initial force upon-portionr 3| of rod 30 it will proceed-more easily in-a progressive manner from the front end of the tray to therear vend thereof. During this loosening operation the pan l itself will "also, fiex in an opposite direction a small amount which obviously facilitates the breaking of the ice bond between the pan and its contents.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it isto be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: v

1. A freezing tray comprising: a cbntainer pan having a handle movably attached thereto, a exible non-metallic partitioning device within said pan and having a metal bar engaging a portion thereof, said bar having one end projecting over an edge of said pan, and means actuated by the movement of said handlev for urging said bar and device upwardly relative to said pan and simultaneously loosening the ice from said nonmetallic partitioning device. y

2. A freezing tray comprising: a container pan having a lever pivoted thereupon, a exible rubber partitioning device within said pan having a central flexible partition wall, a relatively rigid bar underlying said flexible wall, and means actuated by the movement of said lever for tilting said bar and device upwardly from said pan.

3. A freezing tray comprising: a container pan having a lever pivoted thereupon, a flexible rubber vgrid within said pan having a flexible partition grid.

4. A freezing tray adapted to rest upon a support, comprising: a container pan having ahandie pivotally mounted thereupon, a movable distortable rubber gridvwithin saidpan, and means -actuated by the pivotal movement of said handle for distorting said grid to loosen the ice bond therewith 5.. A freezing tray comprising: a container pan,

.a .handle movably attached thereto, a removable partitioning device within said pan having a flexible partition wall, a metal lifting bar engaging said partitioning device and actuatable to liftsaid flexible wall, and means actuated by the movement of said handle for urging said metal bar upilvardly and loosening the ice from said flexible wa l. v

6. A freezing tray comprising: a container pan,

a removable flexible non-metallic grid having 'a grid and bar have been removed from said pan,

and force-multiplying means reacting between said pan and lifting bar and serving to force said .f

bar and grid upwardly from said pan.

8. A freezing tray comprising: a container pan, a removable flexible non-metallic grid having av main flexible wall having a longitudinal groove l therein at its bottom edge, a relatively rigid lifting bar underlying said main wall and loosely located within said groove, and force-multiplying.

means associated with said pan and lifting bar and serving to force said bar and the overlyingmain wall of said grid upwardly from said pan Ato facilitate the removal of the frozen ice contents from said pan.

9. A freezing tray comprising: a container pan, a iiexible rubber grid member therein having a flexible rubber wall,A a metalliclifting member underlying said rubber wall and loosely associated therewith` in such manner as to bev at least in part readily separatable therefrom, and means for forcing upwardly-from said pan said bar and its overlying rubber wall. and thereby serving to break the frozen bond between said pan and its frozen contents.

10. `A grid-member for an ice'tray inluding'a relatively rigid reinforcing lifting bar which is removable from the tray, and a soft rubber partitioning wall mounted on said lifting bar so that at least va part of'said soft rubber wall canbe readily pulled away from 'said relatively rigid lifting bar.

HARVEY D. GEYER. ce 

